Senecio plant named ‘Sene Sirohyaku’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Senecio  plant named ‘Sene Sirohyaku’, characterized by its semi-upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit and daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are dark purple to red purple in color and disc florets that are dark purple in color.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SENE SIROHYAKU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sene Sirohyaku’.

The new Senecio plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new semi-upright, uniformly mounding and vigorous Senecio plants with a freely-branching habit, early flowering and numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Senecio plant originated from a cross pollination conducted by the Inventors in May, 2012 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code number S10-22E, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code number S10-31-2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since October, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sene Sirohyaku’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sene Sirohyaku’ as a new and distinct Senecio plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are dark         purple to red purple in color and disc florets that are dark         purple in color.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the new Senecio have dark purple to red purple-colored ray florets whereas plants of the female parent selection have red-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the new Senecio have dark purple to red purple-colored ray florets whereas plants of the male parent selection have bluish-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can also be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus ‘Sunsenegoroku’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,975. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of ‘Sunsenegoroku’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio are not as upright as plants of         ‘Sunsenegoroku’.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio have smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Sunsenegoroku’.     -   3. Plants of the new Senecio are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Sunsenegoroku’.     -   4. Plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Sunsenegoroku’.     -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Senecio are flatter than         inflorescences than plants of ‘Sunsenegoroku’.     -   6. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenegoroku’ differ in ray         floret color as plants of the new Senecio have dark purple to         red purple-colored ray florets whereas plants of ‘Sunsenegoroku’         have violet blue-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Sirohyaku’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Sirohyaku’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter and spring in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus ‘Sene Sirohyaku’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code number S10-22E, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code number S10-31-2, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at             temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Semi-upright and uniformly             mounded plant habit; daisy-type inflorescences positioned             above the foliar plane; freely branching habit; vigorous             growth habit; freely branching habit with about seven             primary lateral branches with numerous secondary branches.         -   Plant height.—About 22.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 43 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 16.5 cm. Diameter: About             5.8 mm. Internode length: About 1.9 cm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color:             Close to 144C tinged with close to between 197A and 199A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 5.3 cm. Width: About 6.4 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate to serrate, slightly             undulate. Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent.             Texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent. Venation pattern:             Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to 137A; venation, close to 145B. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 145B tinged             with close to N77D. Leaf petioles: Length: About 5.5 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 145C tinged with             close to N77C. Color, lower surface: Close to 145B tinged             with close to N77C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescences with lanceolate-shaped             ray florets; inflorescences arising from upper leaf axils             and positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles;             disc and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences face mostly upright to outwardly; freely             flowering habit with about 90 inflorescences developing per             plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Senecio begin             flowering about 22 weeks after planting; plants flower             continuously from winter to late spring in Japan.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About             7.2 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 83A; proximally,             close to N78A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.7 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.3 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Diameter: About 7.3 mm. Height: About 1.7 mm.             Color: Close to 145C.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             2.4 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Obtuse.             Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire, not undulate. Aspect:             Initially upright, then horizontal; flat. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Shallowly ridged, glabrous. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 83A; proximally, close to             NN78A. When opening, lower surface: Close to N82A, 83B and             N82D. Fully opened, upper surface: Initially, close to 83A             becoming closer to 72A and NN78A; color does not change with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to N82A, 83B             and N82D.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 99. Length:             About 9.1 mm. Diameter, at apex: About 2.1 mm. Diameter, at             base: About 1 mm. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate,             five-pointed. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and             mature: Close to 79A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 per             inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About             5.6 mm. Width: About 2.2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Narrowly acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to 143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Distally, close to 144A; proximally, close             to 144B tinged with close to N187B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 1.1 mm. Filament color: Close             to NN155B. Anther size: About 2.1 mm by 0.4 mm. Anther             shape: Narrowly ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to N79B; at             the apex, close to N79A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 13A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc             florets. Pistil length: About 9.2 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to N79A. Style color:             Distally, closer to 77A; proximally, close to 157D. Ovary             color: Close to 157D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   disease & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Senecio have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Senecio plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sene Sirohyaku’ as illustrated and described. 